The Saudi capital, Riyadh, will host two expanded meetings on Sunday for Arab foreign ministers, including Iraq, and Western countries such as France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Turkey, and Spain.
This meeting, which includes Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, is an extension of the meeting hosted by Aqaba, Jordan, on December 14.
The meeting aims to assist Syria in this phase by supporting the political process for a comprehensive transition, encompassing all political and social forces in the country, and standing in solidarity with Syria in preserving its unity, territorial integrity, sovereignty, and the safety of its citizens.
In addition to the Arab and foreign ministers, the meeting is expected to be attended by the UN envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.
U.S. Under Secretary of State John Bass is also scheduled to attend this "multilateral meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia for senior government officials from the region and global partners to coordinate international support for the Syrian people," according to a statement from the U.S. State Department yesterday.
This meeting is the largest since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, with representatives from the new Syrian administration and around 17 countries, representing the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab Ministerial Contact Group on Syria, and UN and European committees participating.